Carrier for floating bevels



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,510

A. H. LEIPERT Y CARRIER FOR FLOATING BEVELS Filed March 8. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet. 1

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Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,510

A. H. LEIPERT CARRIER FOR FLOATING BvELs Filed March 8. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,657,51h PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST H. LEIPER'I, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL MOTORCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION" OF DELAWARE.

CARRIER FOR FLOATING BEVELS.

Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,095.

Heretofore in drives for motor vehicles, the bevel rii'ig gear servingas the driving gear for the differential has been rigidly connected tothe carrier for the sun pinions.

This has tended, under conditions of momentary overloads,'to a possibledestruction of the gearing since the teeth of the gear and the pinion onthe propeller shaft then have a tendency to he forced outof mesh. Thedistortion resulting has further impressed great sins on thedifferential gearing and its connections with the live axles. To obviatethis distortion and tendency to separation of the gear teeth it isproposed according to the present invention to provide a constructionwherein limited displacement is permitted between the bevel gear and thecarrier for the sun pinions without sacrifice of the driving torquewhile the alignment of the pinion and gear teeth provided for by theprovision of suitably distributed bearings. More paroicularly thecarrier for the sun pinions of the differential is supported within asupplemental carrier with which the bevel gear is carried, and the drivebetween the carrier and the supplemental carrier is effected by a splineconnection having provision for a degree of displacement. Thesupplemental carrier may take the form of a unitary forging upon whichthe bevel gear is formed or itmay take the form of a composite carrierto which the bevel gear is secured by the bolts maintain ing the partsthereof together.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferredembodiments thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view showing an axle and rear enddrive according to the invention wherein a bevel gear to be driven by abevel pinion on the propeller shaft is carried with or formed on ahousing or carrier within WIllCll the differential gearing as a unit isadapted to float.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a composite carrierwhereof the parts are bolted together.

Referring first to Figure l the drive effected, as is usual, from thepropeller shaft or its continuation a to the driving wheels (not shown)on the live axle sections I), 7) through the intervention of the bevelpinion carried on the stub shaft ca and the bevel ring gear 0? which isadapted to cause the rotation of the carrier 6 for the sun pinions ofthe differential. Instead, however, of rigidly securing the ring gear (Zdirectly to the carrier e as heretofore, itis proposed to permit adegree of what may be termed universal movement between the carrier andthe gear in order that under conditions of momentary overload thedistortion or displacement of the carrier will not tend to effect adisengagement of the teeth of the bevel gear and pinion. To this end thering gear (Z is formed upon a unitary supplemental carrier f whichfloats in bearings g, fl, carried in the dead axle 2' whereby it isalways so positioned that its teeth are maintained in engagement withthe bevel pinion The drive between the bevel gear (Z and the carrier 6is then effected by a spline connection indicated by the splines orserrations 6 on the carrier and interengaging splines or serrations f onthe supplemental carrier 7". Thus movement of the carrier e is permittedin vertical planes through its center without carrying with it the gear(Z.

The supplemental carrier f may be formed. as a unitary casting on whichthe ring gear is formed as shown in Figure 1 or it may be formed as acomposite structure as shown in Figure 2 wherein the ring gear D, anannulus carrying the splines F and a bearing seat member is are securedtogether as by bolts Z to form the counterpart of the carrier 7'.

Thus itwill be seen, by the construction described, that the alignmentof the bevel gear and pinion in a rear or driving axle is maintainedeven under conditions of momentary overload which would otherwise tendto force the gear and pinion teeth out of mesh by the provision of acarrier for the ring gear having a connection with the carrier for thesun pinions of the differential which allows for a degree of universalmovement.

Various modifications may be made in the form of the ring gear carrieras well as its driving connection with the carrier for the sun pinionsand no limitation is intended by the foregoing description orillustration of the application of the device except as indicated in theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a drive for motor vehicles, the combination with a bevel pinionrotated by the propeller shaft and differential gearing for the lireaxles, of a bevel ring gear meshing with the pinion, an annulus, asplined connection between the annulus and the carrier for thedifierential planet pinions to mount said difierential gearing, anannular bearing member and means to secure the ring gear, annulus andbearing ineniber together.

2. In a drive for motor vehicles, the coinbination with a bevel pinionrotated by the propeller shaft and differential gearing tor the lireaxles, of a bevel ring gear meshing with the pinion, a carrier for thebevel gear, bearings for the carrier, said. carrier co1npris ing thesaid bevel gear, an annulus, a bearing member and bolts to secure theparts to gether, and a splined connection between the annulus and thedifferential planet pinion carrier to mount the said dillerential gearing.

3. In a drive for motor Vehicles, a driving connection between thepropeller shaftand differential gearing tor the live axles comprising,in combination, a. carrier member so mounted in the differential housingas to have capacity for rotation therewithin but no capacity forrelative angular displace ment between its axis and the axis of thehousing, means to drive said member from the propeller shaft, and meansniounting the said differential gearing and permitting a degree ofrelative angular displacement be tween the normally coincidental axes oithe carrier member and the dilierential gearing to drive thedifferentialgearing from said member.

l. In a drive :i'or motor vehicles. a differential housing, a bevelpinion carried with the propeller shaft of the vehicle animated Withinthe housing, a bevel ring gear niesln ing with the pinion, a carrier forthe ring gear journaled in the housing in bearings one of which is onone side oi the line oi. contact of the ii'itermeshing gear teeth and inclose proximity thereto and the other of which on the other side of saidline of contact but further therefrom than said first named bearing,differential gearing operatively associated with the live axle sectionsof the vehicle, and a splinc-lihe connection between the carrier for thering gear and the differential gearing to mount the dililerei'ltialgearing and to permit a degree of relative angular displacement betweenthe normally coincident axes of said carrier and said d i i ferentialgearing and to prevent deriatii'in from the pitch line contact of thesaid inter ineshing gears.

This specification signed this 5th day of March A. D. 1926.

AUGUST H. LEIPERT.

